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Z-RNA
Z-RNA is a left-handed alternative conformation for the RNA double helix. Just like for Z-DNA, Z-RNA is favored by a sequence composed of Purine/Pyrimidine repeats and especially CG repeats. Discovery The ability of dsRNA to convert into a left-handed helix was demonstrated using NMR Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are perturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with ... and circular dichroism in 1984. This conversion was shown to require high ionic strength and elevated temperatures (35 degrees). Structural characteristics Z-RNA to resemble, but not be identical, to that of Z-DNA. The structure of the complex of a Zalpha domain with Z-RNA under close to physiological salt concentrations however suggests a structure much closer to the Z-DNA conformation and points to two forms of Z-RNA (low and high salt conformations) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Z-DNA
Z-DNA is one of the many possible double helical structures of DNA. It is a left-handed double helical structure in which the helix winds to the left in a zigzag pattern, instead of to the right, like the more common B-DNA form. Z-DNA is thought to be one of three biologically active double-helical structures along with A-DNA and B-DNA. History Left-handed DNA was first discovered by Robert Wells and colleagues, during their studies of a repeating polymer of inosine–cytosine. They observed a "reverse" circular dichroism spectrum for such DNAs, and interpreted this (correctly) to mean that the strands wrapped around one another in a left-handed fashion. The relationship between Z-DNA and the more familiar B-DNA was indicated by the work of Pohl and Jovin, who showed that the ultraviolet circular dichroism of poly(dG-dC) was nearly inverted in 4 M sodium chloride solution. The suspicion that this was the result of a conversion from B-DNA to Z-DNA was confirmed by examini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |